Visiting the inheritor of Helan Inkstone: Holding a knife and cutting stone, let Helan Inkstone go out of the book case and go to the fireworks

China News Service, Yinchuan, September 16th. Title: Visiting the inheritor of Helan Inkstone: Holding a knife and cutting stone, let Helan Inkstone walk out of the bookcase and go to the fireworks

China News Service reporter Yu Jing

On September 16, the reporter walked into the studio of Pan Anzheng, the representative inheritor of Helan inkstone making skills, an autonomous region-level intangible cultural heritage. Several pieces of Helan stone were quietly displayed on the workbench. The interweaving color bands of light bean green, dark grey, orange red and dark purple are the imprints left by the geological changes of Helan Mountain for millions of years. His fingertips touched the original stone, as if he were reading the wordless scriptures of the earth. "Each layer of color is written by time," he said.

22 years ago, Pan Anzheng, who was born in Huangshan, Anhui Province, was an inkstone worker from the south. He had been carving inkstones in Shexian County for four years, and he was well versed in the graceful and graceful carvings of Jiangnan inkstones and the flexible knife paths. In 2004, he went to the Xiaogunzhongkou Helanite vein in Helan Mountain, Ningxia. The unique texture of Helan stone with green embedded in the purple and purple floating in the green, coupled with the vast and vast terroir of the northwest, prompted him to determine to take root in Ningxia.

Pan Anzheng is carving Helan stone. Photo by China News Service reporter Yu Jing

However, the delicate engraving techniques of the South are not suitable for the heavy texture of Helan stone. Copying She Yan's soft carving techniques will hardly reveal the temperament of the stone itself. In those years, Pan Anzheng often went into the mountains, knocked stones to identify grain patterns, soaked them in water to observe their colors, and devoted himself to trying to figure out the nature of the stones. He gradually realized that carving is not a forced transformation of stone, but an in-depth dialogue between the craftsman and the stone.

Inspired by the Chinese arts and crafts master Shi Biao's concept of "the knife leaves a mark, and there is meaning in the mark", Pan Anzheng realized that the fusion of northern and southern styles is not a simple splicing of patterns, but a thorough understanding of the dual cultural core before creating. From this, he discovered a unique carving knife technique: carving the mountains to capture the majestic openness of the north, carving the clouds and mist using a Jiangnan fine knife to make them ethereal; carving the flowing water to show the rushing rivers in the northwest with a large surface, and then using subtle lines to outline the smart ripples, so that the culture of Huizhou and the heroic spirit of Helan Mountain blend and coexist on the inkstone. In 2013, his work "Cute Koala" won the Silver Award of the "Hundred Flowers Cup" China Arts and Crafts Excellence Award, becoming a model of the fusion of northern and southern styles.

Pan Anzheng is well aware that the production process of Helan inkstones is complicated, including selecting the stone, trimming and chiseling the blank, designing and engraving, polishing and waxing, and he must not be impatient at every step. "When you get the raw stone, you should not rush into cutting it. You must first understand the stone, the history of Yinchuan, and understand the local patterns. Only when you have a picture in your mind can you carve a direction." In his opinion, a high-quality Helan inkstone is a perfect fusion of stone material, history, and craftsman's mind.

Helan inkstone relies on the purple and green natural characteristics of Helan stone, with outstanding material advantages and high artistic and scholarly value. This traditional skill has a profound foundation and requires careful study and accumulation, but there are still craftsmen who persist in cultivating it. Nowadays, with the improvement of public aesthetics, Helan inkstones can be collected and enjoyed, and can also be used in study rooms. Faced with the scarcity of stone materials, the industry is actively exploring transformation, taking into account artistic expression and public demand, and promoting the integration of ancient inkstone art into contemporary life. At present, more than 50 core craftsmen stick to their posts, cultivate reserve forces, and help the inheritance and development of Helan inkstone skills in the new era.

"You can't hold on just by defending." Pan Anzheng proposed a new idea: promoting the co-creation of inheritors, designers, and enterprises. The inheritors keep the cultural roots and explain the cultural connotation behind Helan stones, rock paintings and Xixia patterns; designers make innovative interpretations based on contemporary aesthetics; companies transform ideas into circulated commodities.

Pan Anzheng told reporters that Helan stones need not be limited to inkstones, but can also be made into daily utensils such as incense vessels, tea trays, seals, and souvenirs, and can be integrated into the lives of ordinary people. However, innovation cannot be limited to a simple accumulation of symbols, and it cannot just imprint the elements of Helan Mountain and rock paintings on the surface of objects. It must understand the cultural core, not misinterpret the original meaning of tradition, and then develop contemporary creativity. Excellent intangible cultural heritage works must take into account the three dimensions of understanding local culture, innovative expression, and practical application, as well as historical heritage and contemporary life, in order to have long-term vitality.

"Every piece of Helan Stone hides a story, and there are still many that have not yet been discovered." Pan Anzheng hopes that more young people will approach Helan Stone, break their inherent perceptions, discover the beauty of the stone from a new perspective, and let Helan Inkstone go out of the book case and enter the world of fireworks. "Be bold and don't be framed by old impressions. I look forward to seeing new answers from young people." (End)